A conventional grate magnet includes a frame defining an opening through which material to be separated passes. A plurality of elongated, usually cylindrical magnets extend across the opening so that magnetic material is attracted to the magnets while non-magnetic material is not. Typically, the magnets are mounted in a drawer-like frame that is slidably housed in a delivery duct or chute so that the magnets can be removed from the duct before magnet material is removed from the magnets. A major draw back of the stationary magnetic drawers and housings is that many materials which would benefit from magnetic separation have flow characteristics which are incompatible with this type of separation structure, primarily because these difficult to flow materials are prone to bridge and clog the material passage and magnetic grate area through which the material is to flow. In an effort to overcome this difficulty, it is known to provide magnetic rotary grates which rotate about a longitudinal axis. However, difficulties are also encountered with the rotary type magnetic separators, in that the rotary type magnetic separators constantly rotate the magnetic bar with respect to the material flow leading to increased risk of washing off the previously captured magnetic particles from the magnetic bar. In the stationary drawer magnetic separators, magnetic particles are allowed to adhere to the bar and move to the lowermost edge of the bar where the particles are protected from direct impact with the material flow and continue to accumulate in a "bearding" manner. Bearding of magnetic particles is generally defined as the accumulation of magnetic particles at the lowermost edge of the bars which subsequently continue to accumulate creating a somewhat elongated sheet or "beard" along the longitudinal axis of the magnetic rod, or the sleeve enclosing the magnetic rod. While the rotary magnetic separators can prevent clogging of material flow through the separator portion of the material passage, the rotary magnetic separators accomplish this in a manner which reduces the efficiency of separating the magnetic material from the material flow. Attempts have been made to overcome these problems with the use of vibration, however the vibration devices cause problems such as weld cracking and other material failures. In addition, the vibration does not sufficiently reduce the risk of bridging and/or clogging in many material flow applications.